Durham Region Transit

Durham Region background

Municipalities in Durham Region

  • Ajax
  • Brock
  • Clarington
  • Oshawa
  • Pickering
  • Scugog
  • Uxbridge
  • Whitby

Demographic Stats

Stats from StatCan and Durham Region information report (2021).

  • Durham Region has grown by over 100K people (16% growth) between 2011 and 2021.
  • 2/3rds of Durham population growth is driven by immigration.
  • The household growth for the five-year period from May 2016 to May 2021 was 7.25%
  • The short-term forecasts indicate that in the next five years Durham’s population is
  • projected to increase from 713,680 (2021) to 805,200 in 2026.
  • Durham Region’s population is expected to grow to 1,300,000 by 2051
  • Current number of households in Durham is projected to increase from 244,385 (2021) to approximately 277,410 in 2026.

  • Durham Region post-secondary student population continues to grow, reaching more than 30,000 students annually.

    • Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University.
  • Tourism in Durham region including sports and leisure activities for the region is expected to continue to grow in economic importance and public transit is an essential part to support that expansion.

Budget Meeting

Durham budget council meeting (where the vote on the budget takes place):

  • March 27, 2024

    • 2024 Property Tax Supported Business Plans and Budget
    • 2024 Property Tax Strategy

ITF Transit Manifesto

The manifesto is built on the following four principles:

  • Sustainable investment in public transport system expansion and improvement is an investment in our collective future.
  • Sustainable funding models fit to the specific circumstances of different public transport systems are urgently needed.
  • Along with sustainable funding and investment, fare structures must support marginalised passengers and facilitate a rapid increase in public transport ridership.
  • Sustainable investment, funding and fares policies must support publicly owned and democratically controlled integrated systems that meet universal goals.

Unifor Transit Policy Language

  • General draft language for letters to transit agencies and councillors:

Transit services are essential in sustaining a health economy. With limited labour supply and wage growth in the private sector, sustaining levels of employment in transit services already facing large wage disparities is going to require extra financial support. Without sufficient funding, our transit services will move from crisis to crisis, undermining public trust in transit.

Unifor's 2022 National Transit Policy set out several priorities and recommendations, including:

  • Investment in public transit service and infrastructure: Ongoing permanent federal funding towards operations, maintenance, infrastructure and vehicle/fleet upgrades and replacement is needed to increase transit service speed, frequency, coverage and reliability. We must also resist further attempts to privatize our local transit systems to private corporations that put profits before the needs of our transit workers and riders (including potential riders). Transit should be based on the needs of people in our communities, rather than on where the most money can be made.
  • The federal government must develop a National Public Transit Strategy in collaboration with key transit stakeholders
  • The federal government should develop a permanent and sustainable National Public Transit Fund
  • Support the transition to electric, zero-emission transit vehicles and fleets, procured and manufactured in unionized Canadian facilities
  • Creating a safe, affordable, equitable and accessible public transit system
  • Development of a set of national transit safety standards that will ensure greater health and safety for both transit workers and riders
  • Continue pushing all levels of government for labour relations and employment standards reforms that will benefit transit workers and improve overall job quality

Unifor call on all levels of government to address the growing transit crisis and move to fill the funding shortfall including with contracted transit operators to allow for sustainable and competitive wage growth.